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Messages for Manufacturing Personnel

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Dont forget about occupational safety!

March 2014

The Incident
A Beacon reader recently sent an incident description and thought
it might make a good Beacon topic. In a facility, there was a safety
rule prohibiting wearing jewelry. One worker continued to wear a
ring on his finger. As he got out of a truck, the ring caught on
something and his little finger was amputated.
While the injury was serious and will impact the worker for the
rest of his life, the incident is not a typical Beacon topic because it
was not process related. However, this incident reminds us that we
must pay attention to all aspects of safety, including process safety
and occupational safety. People fall from heights, fall down steps,
cut themselves with sharp objects, are hit by falling objects, and
many other types of incidents that have nothing to do with the
process technology in the facility. These people are hurt and affected
just as much as those injured in process related incidents.
While the Beacon focuses on process related incidents, never
forget that occupational safety is also important. For a safe
workplace, we need to have effective programs for both process and
occupational safety.
The picture is particularly appropriate to the incident described
above. Harold Lloyd performed most of the stunts in this classic film
himself, despite losing a thumb and part of a finger in an accident
while filming a movie four years earlier!

Harold Lloyd hangs above the streets of Los

Angeles in a famous scene from the 1923
silent film comedy classic Safety Last

Do you know?

What can you do?

Occupational safety focuses on accident prevention through

work systems aimed at minimizing risk of personal injury.
Process safety focuses on prevention and mitigation of fires,
explosions, hazardous material releases, and other potentially
large incidents associated with the chemistry and physics of the
manufacturing process.
Process safety incidents have the potential to be very large and
affect many people, as well as the environment and property. A
large process safety incident can impact the community outside
your plant.
Some incidents have both occupational and process safety
characteristics. For example, opening a pipe containing a hot
flammable material can injure the pipefitter doing the work, from
exposure to the material. It can also result in a fire or explosion.

Never forget that a safe workplace requires

that everyone in the facility pay attention to
both process and occupational safety.
Recognize that safety culture and attitude,
operating discipline, safe work practices, and
other elements of a good safety program are
essential to success in both process and
occupational safety.
Understand your plants process safety and
occupational safety programs, and your role in
making them successful.
Actively participate in all of your plants
safety activities and encourage your coworkers to participate as well.

Occupational safety and process safety you need both!

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